The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-03-19
now FICTION BECOMES HISTORY,
People who Tel. n story 40 often they II
nally Come to believe II. I7lf f

Washington kite.
The late Colonel Scott Of the War Rec.
ords Office, who died Saturday, often CON.
founded many a atory.teller. It was he
who had the documents at his elbow to
furnish tho exact truth in regard to every
battle and campaign, and every order or
reportin regard to them. To him went a
host Of people who wanted light on tho
war. A few weeks before his death Colo.
mel Scott said: "There arc innumerabls
calls on me from officers on both sidea for
exact Information about various move.
ments and engagements. Moat Of
them deal with personal affairs.
Bone fellow who led q scout
wants to hunt up Il report where his
name Ia mentioned. A Major General Ia
not often any more sure OF facts twenty.
five yeara old than n private, anda dispute
with q brother officer sends both here Tor
tho record. 1t not %intrequently happens
that ! unwittingly deal some OF my best
friends cruel blowa. A Western Senator
came here a year or 30 ago and got docu.
ments from mo thst made Admiral Porter
| ridiculously imaginative, where everybody
supposed he Was precisely historical, In
regard to President Lincoln's visit to Rich.
mond at the surrender, snd m alleged in.
teryiew en- route with Dun Green. The
greater part OF tho story turned out to DO
| fiction. One day an old officer came rush
ing in, and, in IN excited tone, exclaimed:
~"'ffave you said was not in tho second
battle Of Bull RUM
"'No. not exactly that l said.
"'WelI, Bob Scott, [ was told you said
30, and l came In here to put daylight
through you II you stuck to it,
40, no. l replied, laughing, 4 never
said you were not in that battle. What I
said was hat you youraelf, in au Official
report dsted the day Of the battle, had
said that you were in tho Cumberland
Valley, 100 miles from Cs~ntreyille and
Bull Rum ~
"His eyes looked dizzy and his face was
a most amusing picture OF condensation.
What | said was true. ! tapped a bell,
datied a clerk, who brought the officers
official report, and there in his own hand.
writing, over his signature, in black and
white, was his own word that lie WAS not
at Bull Run. Hs read the report through
twice in silence 80 cold you could slice It.
Then he took hia hat, and, without a word,
arose and left the building.
"a prominent officer OF my acquaint.
auce has described often Ia my hearing,
with great minuteness, the battle Of the
Monitor and the Merrimac. He told the
story as Al eye witness, described hia field
glass and the point OF observation. I paid
no attention to the matter until | had
heard the tale told twice. Then l became
curious, and hunted up the official re-
ports made by this officer. l found that
Il he saw the Monitor and Merrimae in
that battle his field glass was a most pow
erfnl one. He never saw the Monitor and
Merrimac fight, but was at Falls Church
tho day OF the battle, il his own reports
arc to be believed. There is a good deal
Of fiction in war stories.
nThc grestest number OF inquiries about
war history" said Colonel Scott, 'come
from the South. The Johnnies fought
well, and, and in the absence of a good
deal else to give them satisfaction, take
great pleasure in their fighting. Nearly
all, tho prominent Confederate officers
have visited this old building, and hardly
a day passes that we do not receive half a
dozen letters from Southesners asking for
information"